(LEAD) 'Missing' N. Korean diplomat left Italy, is under protection: Seoul

(ATTN: REWRITES headline; MAKES minor edit in lead; ADDS more info in paras 4-5,8-11)

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- A former North Korean envoy to Italy, who disappeared last year, has left the European country and is under protection at an unidentified location, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Thursday.

Jo Song-gil left his post as charge d'affaires at the North Korean Embassy in Rome last November and went missing with his wife in what appears to be an asylum bid.

"(Jo) left Italy and is being protected somewhere," Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party said after a closed-door meeting with Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

"(The NIS) did not say that the Korean government is protecting him. Given the mention of 'somewhere,' it appears to be a third country," she added.

The Italian government earlier said it had not received any asylum request from Jo. Diplomatic observers raise the possibility that Jo is staying in another European country.

Seoul's spy agency also said North Korea could conduct additional missile launches this month before it resumes denuclearization talks with the United States, according to lawmakers.

North Korea said earlier in the day it tested a new rocket system on Wednesday, contradicting South Korea's earlier assessment that the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles.

It was the second firing from the country in less than a week. The North fired two short-range ballistic missiles a week ago and multiple projectiles, including short-range missiles, into the East Sea in early May.

"We are closely monitoring the situation due to the possibility that North Korea could fire another missile in August to improve missile capabilities and demonstrate its complaints," the NIS was quoted as saying by lawmakers.

As a potential reason for North Korea's "protests," the agency cited South Korea's introduction of F-35 stealth fighter jets and planned joint military drills with the U.S.

"There seems to be a practical need for North Korea to speed up the improvement of its weapon system before the resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S.," it added.

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